Subscribe To

Kate Upton (born June 10, 1992 in St. Joseph, Michigan.) is an American model known for her appearance in the 2011 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, for which she was named "Rookie of the Year."

KateUpton was born in St. Joseph, Michigan and raised in Melbourne, Florida. She has three siblings and her uncle is Fred Upton, the U.S. Representative for Michigan's 6th congressional district. An avid horseback rider, she showed for the American Paint Horse Association and competed on a national level, accumulating five world titles.[vague] She was ranked third in the nation[vague] before pursuing a modeling career.

In 2008, Upton attended an open casting call in Miami for Elite Model Management and was signed by them the same day. Upton eventually moved to New York City, where she signed with IMG Models.